THX
THX Ltd. is an American company headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1983 by George Lucas. It develops the "THX" high fidelity audio/visual reproduction standards for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, car audio systems, and video games. The current THX was created in 2002 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd. THX was developed by Tomlinson Holman at George Lucas's company, Lucasfilm, in 1983 to ensure that the soundtrack for the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, would be accurately reproduced in the best venues. THX was named after Holman, with the "X" standing for "crossover" or possibly "experiment" as well as in homage to Lucas's first film, THX 1138. The distinctive glissando up from a rumbling low pitch used in the THX trailers, created by Holman's coworker James A. Moorer, is known as the "Deep Note". The THX system is not a recording technology and it does not specify a sound recording format: all sound formats, whether digital (Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS) or analog (Dolby Stereo, Ultra Stereo), can be "shown in THX". THX is mainly a quality assurance system. THX-certified theaters provide a high-quality, predictable playback environment to ensure that any film soundtrack mixed in THX will sound as near as possible to the intentions of the mixing engineer. THX also provides certified theaters with a special crossover circuit whose use is part of the standard. Certification of an auditorium entails specific acoustic and other technical requirements; architectural requirements include a floating floor, baffled and acoustically treated walls, non-parallel walls (to reduce standing waves), a perforated screen (to allow center channel continuity), and NC30 rating for background noise ("ensures noise from air conditioning units and projection equipment does not mask the subtle effects in a movie's soundtrack."). THX's services are often used in some feature length films, typically for theatrical use. List of films digitally mastered by THX Universal *''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962) Broadway (1998 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''American Graffiti'' (1973) Broadway (1998 Special Edition & Widescreen Edition VHS releases) *''The Sting'' (1973) Broadway (1998 Special Edition & Widescreen Edition VHS releases) *''Jaws'' (1975) Broadway (1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Animal House'' (1978) Broadway (1998 Special Edition VHS release) *''1941'' (1979) Broadway (1996 Signature Collection Laserdisc release/1998 Director's Cut Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''The Blues Brothers'' (1980) Broadway (1998 Special Edition VHS release) *''Topia'' (1981) Broadway (1996 VHS release/1998 VHS & DVD releases/2001 DVD release) & Broadway (VHS)/Cavalcade (DVD) (2002 VHS & DVD releases) *''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982) Broadway (1996 VHS release) *''Out of Africa'' (1985) Broadway (1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Jurassic Park'' (1993) Broadway (1994 Laserdisc release/1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Carlito's Way'' (1993) Broadway (1994 Laserdisc release/1998 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Schindler's List'' (1993) Broadway (1994 Laserdisc release) *''The Little Rascals'' (1994) Broadway (1995 Laserdisc release) *''Romeo and Juliet'' (1994) Broadway (1995 Laserdisc release) *''Radioland Murders'' (1994) Broadway (1995 Laserdisc release) *''Casper'' (1995) Broadway (1995 Laserdisc release) *''Apollo 13'' (1995) Broadway (1995 Laserdisc release) *''Babe'' (1995) Broadway (1998 Family Features VHS release) *''Ghost Vision'' (1995) Broadway (Laserdisc)/Broadway 2000 (DVD) (1996 Laserdisc/2001 DVD release) & Tex (2005 10th Anniversary DVD release) *''Dragonheart'' (1996) Broadway (1996 Laserdisc release/1997 VHS release) *''Daylight'' (1996) Cimarron (Laserdisc)/Broadway (VHS) (1997 Laserdisc release/1998 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Dante's Peak'' (1997) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1997 VHS & Laserdisc releases) *''Liar Liar'' (1997) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1997 VHS & Laserdisc releases) *''The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1997 VHS & Laserdisc releases) *''Ama and the Mysterious Crystal'' (1997) Broadway (Widescreen VHS and DVD)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1998 Widescreen Edition VHS & Laserdisc releases/2001 DVD release) *''The Jackal'' (1997) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1998 VHS & Laserdisc releases) *''Mercury Rising'' (1998) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (Laserdisc) (1998 VHS & Laserdisc releases) *''Antz'' (1998) Tex (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''The Prince of Egypt'' (1998) Broadway (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie'' (1999) Broadway (VHS)/Tex (DVD) (2002 VHS & DVD releases) *''Paint World'' (1999) Broadway (2000 VHS & DVD releases) & Tex (2004 Special Edition DVD release) *''The Road to El Dorado'' (2000) Broadway (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''Chicken Run'' (2000) Tex 2 Moo Can (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card'' (2000) Cavalcade (2003 DVD release) *''Mistress Masham's Repose'' (2000) Broadway (2001 VHS & DVD releases) *''Shrek'' (2001) Shrek (2003 DVD release) *''Momo: The Conquest of Time'' (2001) Broadway (2002 VHS & DVD releases) *''Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' (2002) Tex (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''Santa vs. the Snowman 3D'' (2002) Broadway (VHS)/Tex 2 Moo Can (DVD) (2004 VHS & DVD releases) *''Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas'' (2003) Tex 2 Moo Can (2005 Special Edition DVD release) *''Magina'' (2003) Broadway (VHS)/Cavalcade (DVD) (2004 VHS & DVD releases) *''Computeropolis'' (2004) Tex 2 Moo Can (2004 VHS & DVD releases) & Tex (2006 DVD release) *''Zina and the Vivid Crew'' (2004) Tex 2 Moo Can (2005 DVD release) *''The TeenV Movie'' (2005) Tex (2005 DVD release) *''Curious George'' (2006) Tex (2006 DVD release) *''Me & Mobo'' (2006) Tex (2006 DVD release) *''The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie'' (2008) Amazing Life (2008 DVD release) *''Cinnamon the Movie'' (2008) Amazing Life (2008 DVD release) 20th Century Fox *''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947) Broadway (1997 50th Anniversary VHS release) *''Oklahoma!'' (1955) Broadway (1999 VHS & DVD release) *''The King and I'' (1956) Broadway (1999 VHS release) *''The Sound of Music'' (1965) Broadway (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases/2000 VHS & DVD releases) *''Planet of the Apes'' (1968) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''Star Wars: A New Hope'' (1977) Broadway (1993 LaserDisc release/1995 VHS & LaserDisc releases/1997 Special Edtion VHS release/2000 VHS release) *''Alien'' (1979) Broadway (1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release/1999 VHS release) *''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) Broadway (1995 VHS & LaserDisc releases/1997 Special Edition VHS release/2000 VHS release) *''Return of the Jedi'' (1983) Broadway (1995 VHS & LaserDisc releases/1997 Special Edition VHS release/2000 VHS release) *''Aliens'' (1986) Broadway (1995 LaserDisc release/1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release/1999 VHS release) *''The Abyss'' (1988) Broadway (1993 LaserDisc release/1996 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Die Hard'' (1988) Broadway (1995 LaserDisc release/1996 VHS release/1998 Widescreen Edition VHS/2001 Special Edition VHS & DVD releases) *''Die Hard 2'' (1990) Broadway (1995 LaserDisc release/1996 VHS release/1998 Widescreen Edition VHS release/2001 Special Edition VHS & DVD releases) *''FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) Broadway (2002 10th Anniversary DVD release) *Alien 3'' (1992) (1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release/1999 VHS release) *''The Last of the Mohicans'' (1992) Broadway (1996 Widescreen Edition VHS release) *''Speed'' (1994) Broadway (LaserDisc & VHS)/Grand (DVD) (1994 LaserDisc release/1996 Widescreen Edition VHS/2001 DVD release) *''True Lies'' (1994) Broadway (1995 LaserDisc release/1996 Widescreen Edition VHS release/1999 DVD release) *''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' (1995) Broadway (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases/2001 Special Edition VHS & DVD releases) *''Broken Arrow'' (1996) Broadway (1996 LaserDisc release) *''Independence Day'' (1996) Broadway (VHS & DVD)/Cimarron (LaserDisc) (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases/1997 Widescreen Edition VHS release/2000 DVD release) *''Anastasia'' (1997) Broadway (Widescreen VHS)/Cimarron (LaserDisc) (1998 Widescreen Edition VHS & LaserDisc releases) *''Alien: Resurrection'' (1997) Broadway (1998 VHS & LaserDisc releases) *''The X-Files'' (1998) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999) Broadway (VHS)/Cavalcade (DVD) (2000 VHS release/2001 DVD release) *''Titan A.E.'' (2000) Broadway (2000 VHS & DVD releases) *''X-Men'' (2000) Broadway (2000 VHS & DVD releases) *''Mice Tales'' (2001) Broadway (VHS)/Grand (DVD) (2002 VHS & DVD release) *''Ice Age'' (2002) Broadway (2002 Special Edition DVD release/2005 DVD release) *''Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (2002) Broadway (VHS)/Cavalcade (DVD) (2002 VHS & DVD releases) *''Jose Maldonaldo: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' (2003) Broadway (VHS)/Cavalcade (DVD) (2003 DVD & VHS releases) *''Star Wars T.I.E'' (2004) Broadway (VHS)/Tex (DVD) (2004 VHS & DVD releases) *''The Alaina Gleen Movie (2004) Broadway (VHS)/Tex 2: Moo Can (DVD) (2005 VHS & DVD releases) *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) The Science of Sensation (2005 DVD release) *''History Island'' (2005) The Science of Sensation (2005 DVD release) *''Robots'' (2005) Tex (2006 Special Edition DVD release) *''Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) Tex 2: Moo Can (2007 Special Edition DVD release) *Puppet Pals'' (2006) Tex (Disc 1)/Cavalcade (Disc 2) (2006 DVD release) *''Kate & Chris'' (2007) Tex 2: Moo Can (2007 DVD release) *''The Simpsons Movie (2007) Amazing Life (2008 Special Edition DVD release) Paramount ''Coming soon! Disney Coming soon! Warner Bros. *''Twister'' (1996) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (LaserDisc) (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases) *''Contact'' (1997) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008) Amazing Life (2008 DVD release) MGM *''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) Broadway (VHS)/Cimarron (LaserDisc) (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases) *''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952) Broadway (1998 LaserDisc release) *''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968) Broadway (1998 30th Anniversary VHS & DVD releases) *''GoldenEye'' (1995) Broadway (1996 VHS & LaserDisc releases) DreamWorks *''Amistad'' (1997) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''MouseHunt'' (1997) Broadway (1998 VHS release) *''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998) Broadway (Widescreen VHS)/Cimarron (LaserDisc) (1999 Widescreen VHS & LaserDisc) Trivia *The logo has been known to frighten younger viewers mainly with its audio trademark, the Deep Note. *THX's mascot is Tex, a robot character animated and voiced by John Lasseter of Pixar. *The THX Shrek logo was originally intended to show before the original 2001 theatrical release of Shrek but was delayed until 2003 due to the ongoing rivalry between DreamWorks and Disney at the time (the debut date given reflects the scuttlebug that it was supposed to premiere before Pixar's Monsters, Inc. before Disney threatened to blacklist THX over the trailer). *The THX logo along with its Deep Note briefly appears in DreamWorks Animation's 2006 film Over the Hedge. *The THX logo was parodied in The Simpsons episode "Burns' Heir". ** On a similar note it was also parodied in the Tiny Toons Adventures TV movie "How I Spent My Vacation". Gallery Coming soon! Category:Logos Category:Companies Category:Non-Universal